Download The Mythology of the Constellations

The Mythology
of the
Constellations
• Most ancient cultures saw pictures in the stars of the
night sky. By far, though, we owe the greatest debt to
the mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
• The earliest references to the mythological significance
of the Greek constellations may be found as early as the
7th century B.C.
• Originally, the constellations were known simply as the
objects or animals which they represented--the Lyre, for
instance, or the Ram.
• By the 5th century B.C., however, most of the
constellations had come to be associated with myths
• At this stage, the fusion between astronomy and mythology
is so complete that no further distinction is made between
them"--the stars were no longer merely identified with
certain gods or heroes, but actually were perceived as
divine.
• Roman Ptolemy of Alexandria, grouped 1022 stars into 48
constellations during the 2nd century A.D. It forms the basis
for the modern list of 88 constellations officially designated
by the International Astronomical Union.
• The influence of both the Greek and Roman cultures
may be plainly seen; the myths behind the
constellations date back to ancient Greece, but we use
their Latin names.
The Influence of Mythology
• Mythology, of course, influenced the naming
of many objects in the night sky, not just the
constellations.
• The planets all bear names from Roman
mythology which reflect their characteristics
Cepheus, King of Ethiopia
• Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, was married to the
beautiful Cassiopeia, and together they had a
daughter, Andromeda.
• Voyaged as an Argonaut with Jason on the quest
for the Golden Fleece.
• All three members of the family may be found in
the northern sky; Cepheus and Cassiopeia are
quite close to the northern celestial pole.
Cassiopeia
• Cassiopeia was the beautiful wife of King
Cepheus of Ethiopia, and the mother of
Andromeda.
• The queen bragged on her and her
daughter’s beauty. The God of the Sea,
Neptune, sent a sea monster to destroy
the kingdom in response. The king and
queen were ordered to sacrifice their only
daughter to appease Neptune's wrath.
• Although Cassiopeia was placed in the heavens by
Neptune, it was to humiliate her for all eternity.
• She is seated on her throne, with her head pointing
towards the North Star Polaris. In this position, she
spends half of every night upside-down. This is
considered the ultimate sign of disrespect.
Andromeda
• Princess Andromeda, daughter
of Cepheus and Cassiopeia.
• She was known for being the
sacrifice in response to her
mother’s bragging on their
beauty.
• Andromeda is represented in the
sky as the figure of a woman with
her arms outstretched and
chained at the wrists.
Perseus
• Known for killing Medusa & saving
Andromeda.
• When the hero died, Perseus was
immortalized as a constellation.
• He may be found near Andromeda
and her parents, Cepheus and
Cassiopeia, in the northern sky.
• The hero is depicted with a sword in
one hand and the head of Medusa in
the other.
• The eye of Medusa is the star Algol, which means "Demon Star" in Arabic, is an eclipsing
binary star--it is normally about as bright as Polaris (second magnitude), but every two and a
half days it becomes dimmer for roughly eight hours as the dimmer star of the pair passes
between the brighter and the earth.
Pegasus
• Sprang from the
blood of Medusa
after Perseus cut off
her head.
Cetus, the Whale
• Cetus represents the sea monster sent to
Ethiopia as punishment for the boasting of
Queen Cassiopeia to kill Andromeda, but is killed
by the hero, Perseus.
• Cetus is represented as a whale. It is possible
that the ancients perceived whales as monstrous
creatures.
• The constellation is appropriately a large one,
and is relegated to the southern sky--far from
Andromeda, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and Perseus.
Cygnus, the Swann
• Some myths state the swan was once the pet of
Cassiopeia.
• Cygnus, also called the Northern Cross because of its
shape, is easily found in the summer sky. Its brightest star
is Deneb, is part of the Summer Triangle with Vega and
Altair. Cygnus is located next to Cepheus and Lyra.
• Cygnus was once a man & close friend of Phaethon. Phaethon died in
the river after attempting to drive the chariot of the sun, and Cygnus
was overcome with grief that Jupiter (Zeus) struck down his friend. As
he mourned, his voice became thin and shrill, and white feathers hid
his hair. His neck grew long, stretching out from his breast, his fingers
reddened and a membrane joined them together. Wings clothed his
sides, and a blunt beak fastened on his mouth. Cygnus became a new
kind of bird: but he put no trust in the skies, or in Jupiter, for he
remembered how that god had unjustly hurled his flaming bolt.
Instead, Cygnus made for marshes and broad lakes, and in his hatred
of flames chose to inhabit the rivers.
Eridanus, the River
• Eridanus is a river in northern Italy, now known as
the River Po.
• Made famous in connection with the death of
Phaethon. Phaethon was the son of the sun god
who wanted to drive his father’s chariot across the
sky. But because of his inability to control the
chariot, he was struck down and killed by Zeus.
• Eridanus is the longest consellation in the sky,
meandering from Orion to Cetus.
Lyra, the Lyre
• Lyra represents the lyre played by Orpheus,
musician of the Argonauts & son of the God, Apollo.
• Apollo gave his son the lyre as a gift, and Orpheus played it so well that even
the wild beasts, the rocks, and the trees were charmed by his music.
• Orpheus fell deeply in love with the nymph, Eurydice, and the two were
married. One day Eurydice was wandering in the fields with her friends when
a shepherd named Aristaeus saw her and was struck by her beauty. He
pursued her. As she fled, she was bitten by a snake in the grass and died.
Orpheus was devastated. He went to seek out his wife in the underworld. The
king and queen of the underworld were charmed by his music and granted
him permission to take Eurydice back to the land of the living with him: on
condition that he must not look back until he had emerged from the
Underworld.
Lyra, the Lyre
• Anxious and eager to see her, the lover looked
behind him, and straightaway Eurydice slipped
back into the depths.
• Orpheus was so heartbroken from having lost his
love not once, but twice. Now a single man, he still
would not give other women the time of day. The
women were infuriated and, while maddened, they
hurled rocks at him. The rocks, tamed by the
sound of Orpheus's lyre, fell harmlessly at his feet,
but the shrieks of the infuriated women soon
drowned out the music.
• The women dismembered Orpheus, throwing his lyre and his head into the
river. The Muses gathered up his limbs and buried them, and Orpheus
went to the underworld to spend eternity with his beloved, Eurydice.
Jupiter himself cast the lyre into the sky.
• Lyra is easily picked out in the sky because it contains Vega, at zero
magnitude the second brightest star visible from the northern hemisphere.
Hercules
• Hercules was perhaps the greatest
hero in all mythology. After his stepmother, Juno (Hera), succeeded in
driving him mad, and he killed his
wife and his children. As atonement,
he serves the King Eurystheus,
performing his famous twelve labors
to seek forgiveness for his sin.
• The constellation Hercules, found next to Lyra shows the hero
wearing the skin of the Nemean Lion while holding his
characteristic club. He also rests his foot atop the head of Draco,
the dragon.
• The constellation is huge--the fifth-largest in the sky.
Sagittarius, the Archer
• Sagittarius represents the centaur, Chiron from
Hercules’s Wild Boar labor. Chiron, however,
was accidentally shot and wounded by Hercules
by the arrow, which had been dipped in the
poison of the Hydra.
• Also associated with the myth of Prometheus. The gods had punished
Prometheus for giving fire to man by chaining him to a rock. Each day an
eagle would devour his liver, and each night it would grow back. Jupiter
(Zeus), however, had at the request of Hercules agreed to release
Prometheus if a suitable substitute could be found. In agony from the arrow
shot by Hercules,, Chiron instead offered himself as a substitute for
Prometheus. Chiron gave up his immortality and took Prometheus’s place;
in recognition of his goodness, Jupiter (Zeus) placed him in the stars
• From the northern hemisphere, Sagittarius may be seen
only in the summer, lying low in the south. The Milky Way
runs through Sagittarius.
LEO
• Represents the Nemean
Lion, killed by Hercules in
his first labor. According
to myth, the Nemean lion
had an impenetrable skin.
Hercules wrestled the lion
and strangling it to death.
He then removed one of
its claws, and used it to
skin the animal.
• Leo is easy to locate; following the pointer stars of
the Big Dipper south approximates the location of
the bright blue-white star Regulus in Leo's chest.
Draco, the Dragon
• The Draco represents the
dragon who guarded the
golden apples in the one of
the labors of Hercules.
• Twisting past Cepheus and
between Ursa Major and
Ursa Minor in the north, with
its head beneath the foot of
Hercules.
Hydra, The Water Snake
• This constellation represents the Hydra,
slain by Hercules as his second labor.
The Hydra was a multi-headed
monster—according to some it had a
hundred heads, others said fifty but the
most common opinion, however,
seems to be that it had nine. Whenever
one of its heads was chopped off, two
would grow in its place.
• Hydra is a long and wandering
constellation, stretching almost from
Canis Minor to Libra. It lies south of
Cancer, Leo, and Virgo, and is best
seen in the northern hemisphere
during the months of February
through May.
Cancer, the Crab
• Cancer was the crab sent to harass
Hercules while he was on his second
labor. As he battled Hydra, the everjealous Juno (Hera) sent Cancer to nip
at the hero's heels. The crab was
eventually crushed beneath
Hercules's feet, but Juno placed it in
the heavens as a reward for its
faithful service.
• Cancer may be found between the
constellations of Leo and Gemini.
Corona Borealis, The Northern Crown
• This constellation is generally associated myth of Theseus & the
Minotaur and Princess Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of
Crete.
• Immediately after killing the Minotaur, he returned with Princess
Ariadne and made her his wife. Soon afterwards, Theseus set sail
for adventures.
• Ariadne, left all alone, when the God Bacchus came her aid. He
took the crown from her forehead, and set it as a constellation in
the sky, to bring her eternal glory. Up through the thin air it soared
and, as it flew, its jewels were changed into shining fires. They
settled in position, still keeping the appearance of a crown,
midway between the kneeling Hercules and Ophiucus, who grasps
the snake.
Orion, The Hunter
• Orion is one of the most well-known
constellations, visible in the southern sky during
northern hemisphere winters.
• He is generally shown as a hunter attacking a bull
with an upraised club, and is easily recognizable
by his bright belt of three stars. (Orion’s Belt) In
addition, his shoulder is marked by the red star
("armpit of the central one" in Arabic), and his left
leg is marked by the blue-white star.
• According to the versions of the myth which have
him killed by Scorpius (scorpio), the two were
placed on the opposite sides of the sky from each
other so that they are never visible at the same
time.
Scorpio
• The scorpion is generally believed
to be responsible for the death of
the great hunter, Orion.
• In some myths, the scorpion stung Orion in response to
his boast that he could defeat any beast; according to
others, it was sent by Apollo, who was concerned for his
sister Diana's continued chastity.
• Placed in the opposite side of the sky from Orion so as
to avoid any further conflict. It is to the southeast of
Libra, and is marked by the bright red star, Antares.
Aquarius, the Water Carrier
• The water carrier represented
Aquarius is Ganymede, a beautiful
young prince in Troy. While tending
his father's flocks on Mount Ida,
Ganymede was spotted by Jupiter
(Zeus). He became enamored by the
boy and flew down to the mountain in
the form of a large bird, whisking
Ganymede away to the heavens. Ever
since, the boy has served as
cupbearer to the gods.
• Aquarius is a summer constellation in
the northern hemisphere, found near
Pisces and Cetus.
Capricorn, the Sea Goat
• The God Bacchus was feasting on
the banks of the Nile at the time, and
jumped into the river. The part of him
that was below water was
transformed into a fish, while his
upper body became that of a goat.
• It may be seen between Aquarius
and Sagittarius low on the southern
horizon
• One day he saw that Typhoeus, an earthborn giant, was
attempting to tear Jupiter into pieces; he blew a shrill note on his
pipes, and Typhoeus fled. Jupiter then placed the new shape of
Bacchus in the heavens out of thanks for the rescue.
Gemini, the Twins
•
The twin brothers Castor and Pollux had the same mother
but different fathers: in one night, she was made pregnant
both by Jupiter (Zeus) in the form of a swan and by her
husband. Pollux, as the son of the god, was immortal while
his brother was a mortal. Both brothers voyaged in search
of the Golden Fleece as Argonauts, and then fought in the
Trojan War.
• Pollux was overcome with sorrow when his
mortal brother died, and begged Jupiter to
allow him to share his immortality. Jupiter,
acknowledging the heroism of both
brothers, consented and reunited the pair in
the heavens.
• Castor and Pollux were unique among those placed in the sky as they
are not represented merely as a constellation but as actual stars
which mark the twin's heads in the constellation. They may be found
between Cancer and Taurus.
Libra, The Scales
• It represents the balance
or scales
• One of the oldest
constellations.
• Associated with Virgo, a Goddess of Justice who had
scales as the emblem of her office.
• Libra is represented in the heavens next to the hand of
Virgo.
Virgo, the Virgin
• According to the ancient poets,
the virgin is known as Astraea.
She lived on the earth during
the Golden Age of Man.
• Virgo is the second largest
constellation
• Highest in the northern
hemisphere during May and
June.
• The brightest star in Virgo is
Spica.
Pisces,
The
Fish
• The horrible earthborn giant Typhoeus suddenly
appeared one day, startling all the gods into taking on
different forms to flee. Jupiter, for instance,
transformed himself into a ram; Mercury became an
ibis; Apollo took on the shape of a crow; Diana hid
herself as a cat; and Bacchus disguised himself as a
goat. Venus and her son Cupid were bathing on the
banks of the Euphrates River that day, and took on the
shapes of a pair of fish to escape danger. Minerva later
immortalized the event by placing the figures of two
fish amongst the stars.
• Pisces represents two fish, tied together
with a cord. It lies near Pegasus
and Aquarius.
Taurus, the Bull
• Taurus represents the white bullform taken on by Jupiter (Zeus)
when he became enamored of
Europa, Princess of Phoenicia.
Princess Europa was impressed by
the beauty and gentleness of the
bull, and the two played together
on the beach. Eventually, she
climbed onto the bull's back, and he
swam out to sea with her. He took
her to Crete and revealed his true
self.
• The constellation Taurus consists of
only the head and shoulders of the
snowy white bull.
Aries, the Ram
• Known from myth of
Jason & the
Argonauts.
• Ram with the Golden
Fleece
• Aries is still regarded
as the first
constellation in the
zodiac.
Ursa Major, The Great Bear
• The wood-nymph Callisto was a
maiden in the wild region Arcadia. She
was a huntress. Jupiter (Zeus) caught
sight of her and immediately desired
her. He took on the shape of the
goddess Diana and spoke to Callisto,
who was delighted to see the form of
her mistress. She began to tell him of
her hunting exploits, and he
responded by raping her. Callisto bore
a son to Jupiter, Arcas, infuriating Juno
(wife of Jupiter). Out of jealousy, she
transformed the girl into a bear.
• The king of gods then placed both mother and son into the heavens as
neighboring constellations.
• The constellation is one of our most familiar. It includes the Big Dipper,
perhaps the most-recognized feature of a constellation in the heavens.
Ursa Minor – Lesser Bear
• When Arcas was fifteen, he was out hunting in
the forest when he came across a bear. The
bear behaved quite strangely, looking him in
the eyes. He of course could not recognize his
mother in her strange shape, and was
preparing to shoot her when Jupiter prevented
him. Arcas was transformed into a bear like his
mother, and the two were taken up into the
sky.
• It is for this reason that Ursa Major and Ursa
Minor are both circumpolar constellations,
never dipping beneath the horizon when
viewed from northern latitudes.
• Ursa Minor is better known as the Little Dipper.
• Polaris, the star marking the end of the dipper's
handle, is located at the north celestial pole.